Cover the stars with a shadow or two
by bowtiesandbluescarves
Summary: I didn't even know that I was a Goddess until I had a fight with Percy... I'm just a girl, like you, but if you are reading this to get an inside on a life like yours, turn away now. New description. No Anon reviews, and no flames please
1. Past and Legend becomes Reality

Are you familiar with Greek Mythology...? I hope so, because legend and past becomes Reality, the Greek Gods are alive, and they are here; in America. Doesn't that bother you? Turn back and tun away if you have to, I'm dangerous. I'm a Greek Goddess, but my mother was banished from Olympus. You may think that there are 12 Olympians, you're wrong. There are 14. Zeus, Dionysus, Hades, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hera, Hephaestus and Hermes, right? No. There are two more. Moria - Goddess of Light in Darkness, Hope and Desires; and then there's me. My original name was Zephire, but it changed to Irene Hemera when I was fostered. I guess I will have to go to Camp Half-Blood this year, all because of Percy Jackson.

Run now if this is what you're like. Run away and never return, keep running. Because sooner or later, you're going to get yourself killed by a Minotaur or a Fury, so just... Run. Don't look back, I'll be okay, just get the hell out of here, and never stop running, if you do, there will be another war, greater than the last time, because Kronos will have something he didn't have last time...


	2. I'm Going to Have to Go To Camp Now

"Mother! I'm going now, tell dad that I'll be home soon!" Irene Hemera, a small girl with flowing feiry hair, that seemed to glow at night; called up the stairs to her foster parents. She smiled when there was no reply, grabbed her canvas bag and ran out of the door, grinning to herself. The last day of school before the summer, the best day ever, you get to do whatever you like in school. Irene slammed the door shut behind her, and left to go to her new school, Yancy Academy. She recently started this school, about a month previously, and since then she made loads of friends, but the best of those are Percy Jackson and Grover Underwood, she chose her friends wisely, this is because, despite looking like a normal child, Irene Hemera isn't a normal girl; she's a Goddess, the Goddess of Shadows and Stars, she knows that they are an odd mix, but she just doesn't know how powerful she can be. Irene believes that she is a normal demi-god after meeting another on her travels by accident. They were going on a field trip that day, I know, stupid, huh? But, hey, that was the school's choice , not hers. They were off to Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at stuff on Ancient Rome and Greece, typical, huh? They were being led on this field trip by Mr Brunner, their Latin teacher; but there was something off about the latin teacher, something didn't feel right about him... almost something magical, sounds crazy, right? Well, once they got on the coach, she knew something was wrong, Mrs Dodds, their algebra teacher, was going on the trip, she despised the children and she realised that this visit would either be torture, or something worse, like the unveiling of a big adventure...

There are a few downers to this trip though, I have to put up with Nancy Bobofer, she's a foul creature, that doesn't desrve to be a little piece of dirt on the terrain my mother has walked. My mother is the Goddess side... I think, but I can't be sure, I have never met my parents. As soon as I got on the coach, I travelled to the middle and took a singular seat opposite a two-seater. Two people slid into the two-seater, and I immediatly rcognised them as Grover and Percy. The two seemed to radiate with energy, jeez, great. 'I bet a monster will show up soon, I better be prepared!' I thought to myself as I checked my pocket for my little hair-pin that changed into my massive bow and my quiver with my ever-lasting arrows. Then there's my necklace that turns into a sword and my watch that becomes my shadow-shield. I sighed in fustration as Nancy started to pelt Grover with little pieces of her peanut-butter and ketchup sandwhich. I heard Grover mutter to Percy "Don't worry, I like peanut-butter." I snorte and the two turned to me, looking as though they had seen a ghost.

"What?" I asked the two, turning my head to the side.

"You weren't there a minute ago!" Grover hissed, looking around and spotting Mrs Dodds grinning evilly from the front of the coach, he gulped and sunk back into his seat. I shook my head while laughing.

"You dope, I have been here this WHOLE time." I laughed again, but stopping when Nancy threw her apple at my head.

"I need to talk to you, Percy." Mrs Dodds, the most hated teacher, wanting to talk to Percy...? This can't be good! I followed them through the museum and watched as Mrs Dodds exclaimed something in another language and then launched at Percy attemoting to attack him. He clicked his pen and Riptide came out, in all it's Celestial Bronze glory, I stopped to look at what he was going to do next, but aparently, he had no idea. Just before she could attack Percy again, I jumped in front and shot an arrow into her neck, the Fury screamed and disintergrated.

"Come on Percy, follow me!" I took his hand and ran him right through a wall, appearing next to Grover. "Grover, it was a Fury. Get him out of here!"

"How did you get there?"

"Shadow-travel, just get him and go. I'll talk to Chiron." Grover looked suprised at the thought of me Shadow-travelling. And with that, him and Percy ran, I have a feeling I will have to go to Camp Half-Blood now, great.


	3. This is Not Good

"This is crazy, Chiron, I don't even know my Godly parent, and I just fought a Fury for Percy. I can fend for myself! I don't want to have to go to camp." I complained again to the Centaur.  
"This is improtant, Irene, you are to come to camp this year and that is final!" He commanded of me, I huffed and left to pack my things and travel to my worst fear; a camp full of half-bloods, could summer get any worse?

There was a scream from just outside camp, where the arch stands; and where new demi-gods are taken nearly once a year. I ran up the edge of the hill and stopped at the arch. There, in the middle of the forests, was Percy Jackson, Sally Jackson and Grover Underwood; fighting a being of man and bull, a Minotaur. I shouted to them to run and get out of the way, but Percy refused, after his mother was taken in a flash of gold and a blowing of dust. I grabbed Percy by the arm and yanked him out of the way as the Minotaur charged at him, and barged directly into a tree. I drew an arrow of celestial bronze and shot it directly into the Mintoaur's heart, picked Grover up, slung him over my shoulder and took him into the borders of camp. As soon as Percy crossed the borders, he collapsed. I called out for help, and the first person who came to my aid was Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena.  
"Irene! I thought you swore never to come into this camp after Thalia!" Annabteh exclaimed when she came near enough to me to recognise my ginger hair and lightning blue eyes.  
"Well, Chiron said that after our little incident with Percy here and a Fury, I would HAVE to come to camp." I smiled weakly at her and once again lifted Grover. "Will you carry Percy to the infirmary, I have Grover right here." I patted his head and walked off, leaving my bow near the Hermes cabin, then setting off once again to the infirmary, there I met with Annabeth, who was spoon-feeding Nectar to Percy slowly. "Hey, Annabeth, how is he?"  
"Better than he was before, I've been giving him small doses of Nectar for a while and I gave him a bit of Ambrosia. He'll have to come-to soon, or we'll have to get an Apollo kid in here." As she finished her sentence and put the Nectar down, Percy's eyes opened wide and he shot up.  
"Hello there, Percy dear. How are you?" I asked, smiling at him slyly and sitting on the chair next to his bed.  
"Where am I? Who are you, really?"  
"You know me, Percy. And you're at Camp Half-Blood for people like you, like me, like Annabeth here. Annabeth Chase, meet Percy Jackson. Percy, meet Annabeth Chase - daughter of Athena."  
"What do you mean Daughter of Athena?"  
"I mean, her mother is Athena, he father is a Mortal. You should get claimed too, soon. Come on, Percy, Annabeth'll show you around. I'm going to talk to Chiron." Annabeth pulled Percy up and she led him out of the room, followed by Grover, who I did not realise was awake until he bleeted and walked out slowly behind Percy.

"Mr D, were's Chiron?" I asked sweetly, making him put down his wine magasine and look at me.  
"He's out with the archers, but, Irene, I wouldn't count on him telling you anything of anything. He's a bit mad at the moment, but I'll let him tell you why." You see, I am the only one Mr D is even half nice to, because when I was younger, he came to take me out of the LOtus Hotel and Casino and I ended up saving him from the temptation of taking some wine or even him staying. He was ever grateful after that, and stayed nice to me.  
"Thanks Mr D!" I called to him as I ran to Archery class, picking up my bow as I went, and to ask Chiron about Percy. When I reached Archery class, Percy was about to walk in front of a line of arrows, so I snorted and let Grover pull him back.  
"Re-align your bows, and FIRE." Came a deep voice from just behind me, I shot my arrow and it settled in the middle of the target, the celestial bronze glinting in the sunlight. "And that's the end of the lesson guys, go on to your next activity!" Chiron shouted to the rest of the campers. I turned around and I was immediatly greeted by the bottom of Chiron's horse legs.  
"Hello Chiron!" I smiled at him and put my bow over my shoulder.  
"Hello Irene," he replied in his steely-calm voice, uh-oh something is wrong. "There are matters in which we need to discuss." He took my hand, swung me onto his back and galloped away to The Big House. This can't be good, at all.


	4. A Long Day

This is my FIRST A/N at the beginning of a Chapter and I'd just like to say, HEY THERE! This story may be updating fast, but starting the 18th August I'm on Holiday, and then we come back from our SECOND holiday on the 4st September, but from the 27th-3rd Sept I can write and maybe upload, so don't give up on this story, I just have a big Holiday planned with the family.

* * *

"Irene, I believe you are familiar with Zeus' master bolt?" Chiron looked at me with worry and hope. I nodded and squirmed in my seat.

"Of course I am, Chiron, anyone who has ever heard of the Greek Gods knows of the Lightning Bolt. Zeus' master weapon, his power, his best piece of work, why?"

"It was taken, probably at the Winter Solstice, and so was Hades' Helm of Darkness. Everyone believes the theif to be young Percy Jackson, thinking that Poseidon is trying to tip the scales of power. This is a LIE. It couldn't have been Percy, he has never been to Olympus, and he did not even know of his father until yesterday."

"So, why are you telling me?" I asked, worrying about the thought stuck in my head of a quest for the most ignorant and untrained Demigod at Camp.

"I want you to go on the Quest with Percy. It'll be you, Grover and Percy, but beware, Annabeth is desperate to go on a Quest and she will probably follow you with that hat of hers. Let her, she has been given permission from me, without her knowing, to go on this Quest as a fourth member, unless the Oracle says she can go anyway. Percy must accept this Quest, it is his destiny." I sighed to myself.

"Okay, but you better send Percy up to the Oracle as soon as possible, then, or else the Bolt and Helm will never be returned." I stood up, my battle gear sqeaking from being still for so long. "If you need me, I'll be swimming." I stood up, turned and left. Since when was Percy claimed?

"HEY, Percy!" I called over to him as he submerged from the water. I smiled to myself, diving under to meet him, then coming to the surface. "Chiron wants to see you at the Big House, you better go, he's a little edgey today. A bat thing has happened on Olympus and you need to go and help him."

"Why me?"

"Because the Quest is for you, now go, and tell me everything later!" I smiled at him and waved as he came out of the water and shook his hair out, running to the Big House. I re-entered the water, and attempted to scream as a hand clamped over my mouth and pulled me down.

I was breathing, but I was underwater, it was impossible. I felt around and the water moved around my fingers.

"Stay calm, Irene Hemera, I'm not going to hurt you." A man with sandy blonde hair, sea-green eyes and wearing a Hawaii-style top with Bermuda shorts moved into the room.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" I stood up from the chair and walked, yes walked underwater, to the man.

"Sorry, how rude of me, I'm your uncle, Poseidon."

"My... uncle?" I asked, moving around back to the chair, sitting down and rubbing my eyes. "You're really my uncle?"

"Of course, I am your uncle, have your parents not claimed you, yet?" He asked me, tipping his head to the side, with a questioning look in his eyes.

"No, and I haven't been into camp for years, after Thalia got turned into a tree, I ran away. I haven't come back since."

"I'm suprised you remember so little, Irene, you used to favour Hades as your uncle over me, but I never really visited much, me and your father don't get along. I hear that you're going on a Quest with my son, Percy."

"That's right, but I really need to go back, people are going to think I died."

"I just want you to promise me something."

"Anything, what do you need?" I asked, curiosity dancing through my eyes.

"I need you to look after Percy and make sure he's okay."

"I'm going to look after him anyway, I have to help him, apparently; according to you, he's my half-cousin." I smiled at my uncle and let him lead me back to the surface of the sea, that is the north shore of the Island, next to the Strawberry farm. I walked onto the shore and smiled and waved to him, before running to the Big House and skidding to a halt outside Chiron's office. I whitled a bit, then knocked and entered, watching as Percy turned towards me, his face pale.

"What happened? Are you okay, Percy?"

"I just got a prophecy from the Oracle..."

"What did it say?"

"You shall go west, and face the god who has turned,  
You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned,  
Four friends will go and two will be left in the world of the dead,  
And the guilt and weight of it all on the hero's head,  
You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend,  
And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end."

"You shall go west - we just have to go West, I guess.  
Face the God who has turned - could be any god, really.  
Find what was stolen - the Bolt and Helm.  
Safely returned - going to Olympus!  
Four friends will go - Percy, Annabeth, Grover and me.  
Betrayed by the one who calls you a friend - that could be any of us...  
Fail to save what matters most in the end - could be anything, what matters most to you?"

"I don't know, my friends, my mum, my family."

"Well then, we'll have to figure it out as we go along. Go pack, we'll leave at last light tonight."

"Why at last light?"

"I feel better under stars and keeping to shadows." I smiled at him, then left the Big House to find Grover and Annabeth, then to pack. This is going to be a long day.


	5. Some adventure, huh?

We met up with Argus at the top of the hillside, he's our many eyed camp-protector-thing; literally many eyed, his whole body is full of them, and the he even has one on his tongue, so he doesn't speak, just sort of... nods and gestures. The van was ready and so were we, so I was just about to jump into the back when we heard footsteps running up the hill, it was dark, so it could be any camper to wish us well, but, no, it had to be Luke Castellen, son of Hermes; one of the people I had tried to avoid when I got to camp.  
"Hey!" He puffed out a breath, and mist blew out into the open air, twinkling in the starlight. "Glad I caught you." Annabeth blushed and I wondered what had happened while I was gone. By the look on everyone's face, this was a normality at Camp Half-Blood. I huffed and turned to watch what he did. "Just wanted to wish you luck, and give you these." He handed Percy some sneakers, they looked ordinary, they felt strange though, almost, powerful. "MAIA" He whispered to the shoes, and the sprouted wings out of the back, I smiled to myself, but Percy went and dropped them, the shoes flapped around a bit and then disappeared. I tuned out of their conversation, and then, when Luke saw me and his eyes widened, I rolled my eyes and hauled myself into the back of the van.

The streets of Manhattan were dark and mysterious at night, just the way I like them. The others were playing Hacky Sack(a game where the object must stay in the air without touching the players hands or the ground at all times) with an apple, I watched amused, as we waited for the bus, it's only a matter of time before one of them slips up- oh there you go, Grover caught it in his mouth, and ate the thing whole. The other two cracked up and I let out a giggle, then the others nearly jumped three foot in the air.  
"I thought you went to get bus tickets?"  
"That was nearly an hour ago, Percy, I'm not stupid."  
"You weren't sitting there a minute ago!"  
"You did this on the school bus too, I have always been here!" I shouted, folding my arms.  
"Maybe you're a daughter of Hades, then you could Shadow-Travel. The clouds rumbled and lightning struck the air in the storm.  
"Shut-it, Zeus, I'm not a daughter of Hades, I would know, and so would you." I screamed to the sky and the rumbling stopped. I sighed and got up as the bus pulle into the stop. "Finally." We boarded the bus and showed the driver our tickets, which I had gotten in the end. Grover looked troubled, I smelt the air, and sure enough, there was the smell of monster, but it smelt more underworld than monster; interesting. We made our way to the back of the bus, as the engine went into full roar and started going to the next stop. My jaw clenched when I realised who was sitting at the front, I whimpered and shook Percy. "It's... the Furies." I finished, gasping. They has their legs crossed, looking older and more ugly than ever. The legs crossed gave of the sign - noone is leaving. Grover gulped next to me, I gulped too, but this time, I stood up and moved to the seats closer to the front, determined to hear their conversation, I kep to the shadows because that's where people tend to look the least. They were hissing in Ancient Greek about finally catching the thief, I gasped a little, then ran to the back and sat back down. "They're talking about finding you, Percy, we have to get out!" I whispered, while I was gone, they seemed to have gotten that idea too, and paled considerably.  
"Percy, take my hat and go to the front! They might not see you, you escape and we'll find you via Iris Message." Annabeth decided would be the best plan, well she is the daughter of Athena, goddess of Battle strategy. I nodded and Percy took the hat, placing it on his head and moving to the front of the bus, I could still see him, but I guess that's just me, because everyone seemed confused to where their luggage was moving to. The Furies, after deciding that Percy was not there, came to the back and up to us.  
"Where is it, where is he?" They hissed in our faces, brandishing their whips, I nearly screamed, it was so scary.  
"He's not here, he's gone!" Annabeth yelled at then, in a desperate attempt to get them to leave us alone. They raised their whipes at us, we drew our swords and Grover got a tin can ready to throw at them, but just as this happened, I saw Percy grab the wheel and turn it into the Lincoln Tunnel, I screamed, and the Furies were tossed around the bus. Then as they gained on Percy, I stood between them, cuts covering my face, arms and legs.  
"Irene Hemera, you will die to stand between a Fury and her prey."  
"I liked you better when you were a Maths Teacher, go to hell, oh- wait, you already live there!" I shouted at her, then willed my necklace to change into a bow and readied an arrow. Mrs Dodds didn't like the look of my bow, because she had felt one of the arrows before and she didn't feel like taking another.  
"Submit now," she hissed at me and Percy. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."  
"IRENE LOOK OUT!" Annabeth shoute at me, I looked at the other Furies and they had lashed their whips at me. I dodged their blows, but caught one to the back, hissing in pain. I carried on fighting though, no-one touches my family and gets away with it. Thunder and lightning shook the bus, and the windows were blasted apart.  
"GET OUT, PERCY!" I screamed at him and he looked like he needed no encouragement. The Furies were now screaming and I was still fighting them off. "Annabeth, Grover, GO!" I shouted, letting them past and waited for me outside. "RUN YOU FOOLS!" I shouted to them, then attempted to get out of the bus. I got out, just as it blew to pieces from a Lightning Bolt. I was thrown forwards and scraped my back up pretty bad, but I was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment, then I looked at the bus, and all of the fire. I ran back to it, to help the passangers get out, and I managed to get out all of then, most badly hurt, but others fine and helping the hurt ones to safety. I smiled a little and ran to where the others were. I was wrapped in a hug by Annabeth as asoon as I reached them.  
"Family, Irene, we lost Thalia, I'm not losing you too." She whispered to me, I let the held up tears flow down my face as I hugged her back.  
"You're not going to lose me Annabeth." I smiled at her, took her hand and we walked to the opposite side of the Lincoln Tunnel. We plunged into the woods and the rain continued to pour down, and there was nothing but Darkness ahead.

It's nice to kow that there are gods to blame for our untimely encounter with the Furies; Mortals think it's bad luck, but we know there's a Greater force behind the Mortals' picky eyes. We were walkign along the New Jersey riverbank, in the woods, in complete darkness, with only me knowing where we are stepping.  
"Everything was in that bus, our food, money, clothes. Everything." Percy reminded us.  
"I managed to save what I could, we still have our weapons, and I was carrying about fifty on me on the bus in my pocket and I still have it, and I still have my backpack, with food and clothes for all of us in here, remember we all took a pair for each other. We're not completely lost, Perce." I reminded him, waving my purse in his face. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, running ahead a bit, to see where we are. "Let's camp here for the night, it's covered, secure and we could always camp in the trees if we have to." I smiled at them, and then yawned as the sun came up. "I'm tired..." I muttered before letting the comforting darkness of sleep overtake my mind and lull me into my dreams.

I opened my eyes to brightness, too bright to be early, but not dark enough to be evening, and judging by the sun, it's around 3pm. Lovely time to start walking. I wke up the rest of them, and reminded them that we do, indeed, have a Quest to do, but it took a while to wake Grover up, he keep complaining about food.  
We started to walk, and Percy started to complain about walking into trees. I told him that if he didn't want to walk into trees then he needed to strat paying attention to where he was walking, this recieved a snort from Annabeth and I smiled in Victory.  
"If I could remember that 'Find Path' song on my reed pipes, we could find a way out of here." Grover muttered.  
"Think a little harder if you have to Grover." Annabeth requested, and then we carried on in near silence, the only noise being Percy's mumbling about the know now forming on his head because of the trees. He then sarted complaining about needing FastFood. Maybe a Burger King, or McDonalds. I snorted this time and then we came out the woods, all of us sighing in relief, but instead of having a restaurant, we came acorss one of those dodgy street shops that sell garden gnomes or something. The sign on the wall read 'Aunty Em's Garden Emporium', huh, it actually does sell Garden Gnomes.  
"What does that say?" Percy asked Annabeth, struggling to see the words properly.  
"I don't know, I'm dyslexic too, remember." She whispered back to him.  
"It says 'Aunty Em's Garden Emporium'." I told them, walking closer and closer to the door. I tilted my head to the side and then entered the shop, the little bell on the door jingling as I entered.  
"Irene, get back here!" Percy ordered of me.  
"No way, if you're too chicken to come inside, then that's your fault, not mine." I walked a little way in, then started to examine the statues, there's something off about these statues; like a life aura pulsing around them, maybe it's just the effort being put into the art, they are very good. I walked past a statue of a Satyr and it looked very real, it was even playing the pipes, awesome. Grover came up behind me.  
"Hey, it looks like my Uncle Ferdinand." He gasped, examining the fine work. "Maybe he got this done before he went missing." He sighed, and I carried on walking, there was a warehouse with a Garden behind the shop, I wandered in, looking around at all the statues and such around the room. A lady came up to me, her hair was wrapped neatly in a hippie-headscarf and her sunglasses were pushed high up her nose. She looked old, her hand looked once soft and prety, but turned old and ugly with years of loneliness, no wonder she has so many statues.  
"You child, it's a little late to be out by yourself." I placed a hand over my necklace. "Where are your parents little girl?"  
"Im an orphan, and so are my friends in the shop."  
"Orphans? Surely not my dear, you're far too pretty to be an orphan!"  
"We were seperated from our orphan group on a trip, we got stuck at a gas station, and we were told to stay there, but some men attacked and we were scattered, we stumbled across here by mistake.  
"Oh my dear, come in, I'm sure we can get you something to eat, and maybe I can carve you a pretty statue of yourself. I am Aunty Em, dear. Come now." She took my hand, and before I could shout to Percy, Annabeth or Grover, she dragged me deep into the garden. I heard Grover cry out "This is my Uncle Ferdinand" and I knew than that this was Aunty Ems emporium, but it was more like Aunty M, as in Aunty Medusa. She took off her headscarf and then her sunglasses, I looked away, but she held my head firm, and I closed my eyes.  
"PERCY!" I screamed, shutting them futher, but Medusa was clever, she forced my eye open with her fingers and I started to choke as my insides became stone. I looked to the side and saw Percy before, I became completely stone, but I didn't black out, I could see out of the statue eyes, like I was the statue. Who was I kiding, I was the statue, but I could feel my heart, my soul, I could still see, but not hear, my ears had been clogged up. I gasped inwardly, but then decided against fighting the feeling of darkness and let in consume me.

When I awoke, my ears had unclogged and I re-aquirred the ability to hear.  
"Hold on, Percy!" Annabeth shouted, and a van came crashing through the glass, smashing down statues, including mine, breaking off two of my fingers and part of my shoulder. I saw Percy whip his sword, and just like that, Medusa's head went rolling off. "Where's Irene, Percy?" Annabeth's voice was shaking, as he looked over to my statue, that was not lying on the floor, smashed a little.  
"She... I didn't reach her in time... That's her." He pointed at my statue and then looked away, sitting on the ground and putting his face in his hands. Annabeth seemed to break down, but then there was a flashing light and a lady stood before us, her ginger hair blowing in the wind and her long chiffon dress dusting the floors.  
"Where is Irene?" The lady asked, pushing her hair back from her eyes.  
"Medusa turned her to stone."  
"But her life Aura has not yet faded, quickly boy, stand her up." Percy obeyed her and lifted my statue up, turning me towards the lady, when I looked into her face, all I saw was a reflection of worry and myself, I was scared at this point, who was this lady?  
"επανέλθει στον κόσμο των ζωντανών, κόρη, και ζουν για να εκπληρώσει το πεπρωμένο σας, μικρό παιδί, που γεννήθηκε για να βοηθήσει να σωθούν Όλυμπο και θα το πράξει, να επιστρέψει στον κόσμο των ζωντανών." (come back to the world of the living, daughter, and live to fulfill your destiny, young child, you are born to help save Olympus and you will do so, come back to the world of the living.) She chanted to my face, and I could feel the bit of the statue that came off regrow and become flesh again, I stumbled a little, then fell into the arms of the lady waiting.  
"He-h-hello..." I started to talk, feeling little power coming back to me. "Who are you?"  
"I am Moria, Goddess of Light in Darkness, Hopes and Desires. My symbol is the infinite sine, you will need to remeber that, Zephire, it will come in handy one day." And with a cool summer breeze, she wa gone in a swirl of leaves.  
"Did she just call you Zephire?"  
"I don't even know what that means." I hissed and rubbed my shoulder where bits of the statue had been blasted off. "My shoulder still hurts." I looked down at it, and saw the flesh repairing itself, yuck. "Oh yeah, I forgot, the pearls."  
"The whats?"  
"When you guys were getting ready, I talked to Chiron and he said that there are some pearls that will get us out of the underworld when we are there to get out. I forgot, that this is why I chose to walk us this way in the forest, there was one on the map, in Medusa's Lair, but I forgot where it was, I guess we'll have to find a small pearl in this place." I grimaced as I looked around. "This may take a while."  
"No, it won't." Annabeth gasped, she looked down at Medusa and took a ghost-like pearl from her bracelet. "Pearl one, down. Two more to go." She smiled, some adventure, huh?


	6. The Gateway Arch

I watched as Percy's eyes fluttered open and I smiled fondly at the poodle in my lap. I watched Annabeth talk to him, and I scratched Gladiola's head, thinking hard.

"No, no he's not." Grover calmed Gladi after she barked at Percy.

"Are you talking to that thing?" Percy asked Grover, bewildered. Gladiola growled at Percy and I giggled at his stupidity. I watched as Grover's eyes turned darker.

"This... THING... is our ticket West, Percy. Be nice." I ruffled her fur a little, and let her run over to Grover.

"You can talk to animals?" Percy asked, looking confused again. Gladiola looked like she was laughing, but in dog form. Grover seemed to ignore the question, like it was an insult.

"Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, meet Percy Jackson; sn of Poseidon." He seemed to stare at Annabeth, probably waiting for her to laugh out loud and tell him it was a joke; but she looked deadly serious.

"I am NOT saying hello to a poodle. Especially not a PINK poodle." He shook his head. "Forget it."

"Percy," Annabeth started, "I said hello to the poodle, you will say hello to the poodle. She's kind and polite. Say hello." Gladiola growled again and Percy said hello to her. Grover started to explain how he came across her in the woods and they'd struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away, and come from a rich local family, who'd posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back to her family, but she was willing to if it meant helping Grover and me. I tuned out of their conversation after that and lay back on the grass, looking up at the clouds. I looked up as Annabeth pointed downhill, towards the traintracks, that no-one had seen last night. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the westbound train leaves at noon." I smiled and packed up all my stuff, slinging the bags over my back and scouting the way down the hill.

We spent two days on the Amtrack train, heading west through the hills, over the rivers, past waves of grain.

We weren't even attacked once, but we weren't relaxed, we felt like we were travelling around in a display case, being watched and someone was waiting for the right oppertunity to attack or to get us.

We tried to keep a low profile, because Percy and my names and his pictures were splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The TRENTON REGISTER-NEWS showed a photo taken outside the bus, his sword a metallic blur and my bow a wooden stick, we had wild looks in our eyes. The pictures caption read:

TWELVE YEAR OLD PERCY JACKSON, WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN THE LONG ISLANDS DIAPPEARANCE OF HIS MOTHER, SALLY JACKSON, TWO WEEKS AGO. HERE IT SHOWS HIM FLEEING FROM THE BUS WHERE HE ACCOSTED SEVERAL ELDERLY FEMALE PASSENGERS AND A LITTLE GIRL, WHO WAS AT SCHOOL WITH HIM, IRENE HEMERA. THE BUS EXPLODED ON AN EAST NEW JERSEY ROADSIDE SHORTLY AFTER JACKSON FLED THE SCENE. BASED ON EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNTS, POLICE BELIEVE THE BOY MAY BE TRAVELLING WITH TWO TEENAGE ACCOMPLICES. HIS STEP-FATHER, GABE UGLIANO, HAS OFFERED A LARGE CASH REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO HIS CAPTURE.

"Don't worry," Annabeth whispered to Percy. "Mortal POlice can't catch us, or find us, even." She didn't sound so sure of herself. The rest of the day, I spent pacing the length of the train and looking out of the windows at the view of the cities, towns, villages, valleys or anything else that we passed. We even spotted a small family of centaurs galloping through the grain, bows at the ready for lunch. The little boy centaur, who was the size of a small pony, caught my eye and winked, then waved slighty, following his other family members. The money from Gladiola only took us as far as Denver. We couldn't get beds in the sleeping car, so the others dozed off in their chairs. I tried my hardest to sleep, but a man kept popping his face into my head. I groaned in fustration and stood up, leaving to go to the bathroom. When I came back, Percy and Annabeth were in a heated discusson about a voice, and the underworld.

"Are you sure, she could be his daughter."

"But the pact, I doubt that Hades would break it..."

"But, she can shadow-travel, which other God gets shadow travel?"

"Oh great guys, thanks for talking about me, gee, great friends you are." I sat down next to Grover, opposite them. They looked guilty, and finally looked at me in the face.

"Sorry, it's just I had a dream about a voice, and we thought about it being Hades, and then we thought about the underworld and then it led to a longer argument, and we've decided that it may be clever to leave you up in the Mortal World, the Underworld is too dangerous for a little girl!" Percy crossed his arms, looking at me.

"If you remember, my age never canges, I may look young, but I am older than both of you." I shook my head, sitting down, I didn't even realise I had risen of my seat.

"Okay... We're sorry.." Annabeth shook her head as well. I smiled at her slightly, then pushed Grover's head off my shoulder, and rubbing the feeling back into it. I let the feeling of sleep take over my mind and I left Annabeth and Percy to their talks.

Towards the end of our second day on the train, June 13th, eight days before the Summer Solsitce, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississipi River to St Louis. Annabeth craned her neck to see the Gateway Arch, which to me, looked amazing and gleaming in perfection.

"I want to do that..." Annabeth sighed after we had passed.

"What?" Percy asked, loking at her with confusion dancing in his eyes.

"Build something like that, something permanent. You ever seen the Parthenon, Percy?"

"Only in pictures..."

"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years." She looked out of the window and sighed.

"You? An architect?" Percy laughed loudly, making several heads turn our way.

"Shut up Percy!" I growled at him, as Annabeth's cheeks went a dark red, and her eyes turned darker. "Yes, an Architect. Athena expects her children to make things, not just tear them down. Unlike a certain God of Earthquakes, may I mention?" She turned and looked the other way, tears filling her eyes. I looked at her, shocked, now, she may be my best friend, but she has no right to say those things about my uncle.

"Sorry, that wasn't the right thing to say..." She looked away from him, after looking at his shock-stricken face.I settled down and closed my eyes, exhaustion taking over. It only felt like a few minutes until Annabeth shook me awake.

"Come on, gang, we're going sightseeing."

"How long have I been out?"

"About half an hour? I don't know. We have a three hour layover, we're about fifteen minutes in."

"Oh... okay. Let's go." I straightened out my clothes and brushed my hair, before grabbing my small handbag, and backpack and climbing out of the train, into the open air. Grover was complaining about getting up and needing some food.

"We're going to the Gateway Arch, this may be my only chance to get to the top. Are you coming or not?" She turned around and sked us with hopeful eyes, I couldn't say no to Annabeth, so I nodded, and made my way towards the Arch.

The Arch was about a mile away from the train station, and being late in the day, the lines for the Arch weren't very long. We made our way through the underground museum, as Annabeth blurted out random facts about the structure, history, blah, blah, blah. I started to zone out and move ahead of them, looking deeper into the darker history behind this area, that was the stuff that interested me.

"You know the God's symbols of Power?" I looked at him, strangely, wondering where this was going.

Annabeth looked over from the part about the construction. "Yeah?"

"Well, Hade-" I put my hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking.

"Public place, Perce. Not the best place." I growled in his ear and let go.

"Well then, our FRIEND downstairs. Soesn't he have a helmet like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness, dummy, but yes..." I answered, rolling my eyes in a very Mr D like way. "That is his symbol of power. I saw it when... never mind." He looked like he wanted to press me futher, but he looked down, defeated and carried on.

"It allows him to become darkness, melt into the shadows or pass through walls. He can't be touched, seen, heard of sensed. He can radiate fear so powerful that it drives people insane, it can even kill a man. Why do you think people are scared of the dark at night?" Grover asked us, looking feared.

"But then... how do we know he's not watching our every move, following us in the shadows?"

"We... we don't Percy." Grover said, exhanging a look with Annabeth. "We have no idea."

"Great, makes us feel a lot better." I mumbled, moving away again. Percy seemed to be a little more calm, well until he saw the elevator, then he started to freak out again. He looked like he was going to vomit, so I looked away and moved away. We were shoehorned into a car with this fat lady and her dog. It looked like a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. I figured maybe the guard let the dog on, because it as a dog to help the lady make her way around, because she was blind, but after a while, it didn't look like that, she wasn't blind, so why did the guard let a dog on? I let it go a bit and tried to enjoy myself on the ride up, overlooking the city.

"No parents?" The lady asked She had beady eyes, coffee or tobacco stained teeth and a floppy denim hat.

"They're below, scared of heights." Annabeth easily lied, pointing to a couple who were looking up at the car above us, waving. We waved back a bit, and the couple smiled, and stopped waving, thinking that we were their three kids in the car above.

"Oh, you poor darlings!" She patted my shoulder, and something felt wrong, she didn't feel right, and I was ready to vomit at such a height. Percy started to talk to the lady about her Chihuahua after she called the dog 'sonny'. I raised my eyebrow at this, but looked away from the window, to stop thinking about the height. When we reached the top of the Arch, I became more comfortable, and waited to let Annabeth finish so I could get the Hades out of here. Annabeth kept going on about the structure and the supports and how she would make improvements, I rolled my eyes a bit, then went towards the elevator. I waited for around ten minutes before Annabeth had enough and we had to get some food before the train left again. Annabeth and Grover piled into a lift and then there was no space for me and Percy. I sighed and groaned, but we let them go and waited for the next lift to come up for us. I smiled uneasingly at the fat lady who was in the lift with us and her Chihuahua earlier, she smiled back and her forked tongue ran over her teeth. I thought about her tongue, but it must just be one of those 'in' things at the moment. Then her dog started to yap at Percy, and I knew something was wrong.

"Now, now, sonny, not here with all these lovely people around!" She hushed her dog and smiled at everyone, easing their concern.

"Doggie! Ooh look! I doggie!" The little boy came forward, but the Chihuahua barked at him, foam dripping from his teeth as he bared them.

"Well, son, if you insist..." The lady sighed a bit.

"Hold on a moment, did you just say that dog is your son?!" I exclaimed at the lady.

"Chimera, love, not dog." She smiled again and pushed us a little into the car that had now come to the top of the Arch. I was terrified to get in, but I couldn't say otherwise. When we were a little bit away from the car, the dog started to become lion sized, and the lady grew scales. She took off her sunglasses again and her eyes were slits, like a reptile's or Voldemort's. The little boy screamed and they went towards the entrance, going into the elevator and pressing the emergency button to take them down, bringing the Park Ranger with them. I hadn't time to get my bow, and Percy didn't uncap his sword, the lion became as tall at the roof of the Arch and started to break the ceiling. I was ready to scream, but I had to hold on, and help Percy. The snake-y lady made a hissing noise, that could be laughter, and gained on us.

"Be honoured, Perseus Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of all Monsters, the terrible Echnida!" She roared. I gasped and moved backwards. All Percy could say was, "Is that a type of Anteater?" I growled at him and pulled him backwards, towards the exit. The lady's reptillian face turned brown and green, probably not a good sign.

"I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming ridiculous animals after me! For that, Percy Jackson, my son will destroy you now!" The Chimera charged at us, it's teeth gnashing. I managed to leap to one side and avoid the bite, and Percy dived to the other side. I stood behind the Chimera and caught my breath, before willing my bow into my hand and shooting an arrow into it's back. I didn't listen to what Percy was arguing about, but I saw his sword being pushed off the edge of the Arch. I gasped and dropped my bow by accident off the edge of the Arch, it was in Poseidon's domain now, I would never get it back. Echidna was taunting Percy now, so he looked up, and I think he prayed to his father, then grabbed me by wrapping his arm around my waist and jumped off the edge of the Arch. I was so suprised, that I let go and started pummeling towards the river. Percy sped up and caught my arm, dislocating it, but saving me, splashing into the water and then surfacing. I was still out of breath and now spluttering ater, just to look up and see the Chimera howling. I swam to the edge and got to the edge, watching Percy talking to a lady underwater, he can talk underwater, what do you know?

Percy came out after me, I was freezing, my clothes were soaked, my shoulder dislocated and my body bruised. I picked up my bow that was floating down the riverbank and willed it back into my necklace, which automatically clasped around my neck. Percy was dry, his hair blowing in the wind, and he wasn't cold at all. I went towards the Arch looking for Percy and Annabeth. I started calling for them, and they both ran into me, sending my sprawling onto my bad arm, I groaned and sat up, biting back tears. Percy was hugging Grover in a man-hug way and I smiled, looking at Annabeth who was gazing at Percy, fondly. Percy stopped hugging Grover and looked around for me, stopping to look at me on the floor, he took one look at my arm, and then threw up behind him. I grimaced and let Annabeth attempt to put it back in it's place. She managed it after lots of muffled shouts and screams. There was a calling from a distance and there was the little boy pointing at us and exclaiming 'THAT WAS THE BOY!' We looked at each other and ran, into the city. On the way, Percy told them about Echidna and the water-spirit, I added in my parts and mentioned bits that he missed out. Annabeth suggested contacting Chiron at camp to tell him about the water-spirit and the Chimera.

"We can't use phones though."

"I'm not talking about a phone, dummy, I'm talking about an IRIS message. It's a way for Gods and Demi-Gods to contact each other." We travelled to an empty do-it-yourself carwash, we went to the stall futhest away from the road and from sight and grabbed the nozzle. "Anyone got any cash?" We all handed over our little pieces of cash and cents, and we made enough for the spray. We set it on FINE MIST and Annabeth took our Drachma throwing it into the rainbow.

"We're summoning a Goddess through a spray gun?"

"Unless you know any other way to make an easy rainbow, shut your trap." I hissed at him, angry that he pulled me off an Arch over 600 feet.

"O' Goddess Iris, accept our offering." She waited a second, and the rainbow gleamed, opening a link. "Half-Blood Hill, Chiron." Annabeth requested, for a moment, nothing hapened. Thein, we were looking through at the strawberry fields and Chiron was picking them, slowly, checking few ever 20 patches.

Luke was standing with his back to us, overwatching camp.

"LUKE!" I shouted to get his attention. He turned looking confused for a moment, before his eyes settled on us.

"Percy, Irene!" His scarred face broke into a long grin. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the Gods you are alright!"

"How's things at camp, Luke?"

"Not Good, Dionysus is down at the cabins, trying to break up a fight. Some word leaked out that Zeus and Poseidon are fighting and, well, it's turning out bad here. That cabins are taking sides. Aphrodite, Ares and Apollo are backing Poseidon and Athena is backing Zeus. It's the Trojan War all over again, guys, it's not good." Annabeth and Grover left to get some guy, who was blaxing music to turn his down, so that we could hear Luke.

"Well we just jumped off the Gateway Arch and got attacked by Echidna and Chimera, but nothing much here, oh, and Percy got summoned to Monica beach by his dad, so again, nothing unusual." The argument next-door continued so I sighed, said bye to Luke and left to help Annabeth. After about five minutes of arguing, we came around the corner laughing. I stoped when I remembered what Luke had said, I shook my head at Percy and made cutting movement with my hand to my throat.

"Oh, nothing much... really." I smiled a little. "Let's get something to eat, hey?"

We were in a diner, siiting at the booth, I saw the waitress coming towards us, but being a little girl, I had to get my sleep, so I rested my head on Grover's shoulder and fell asleep. I woke up as a man with a leather jacket and burning red eyes, left the diner.

"By the Gods... Ares? Ares came to seek us out? What happened, start from the beginning."


	7. AN: Please Read

Dear Readers, if you are reading this, it means you have read my story. And yes, that means you silly Guest reader who posted on my story:

"Guest 8/4/12 . chapter 1

Apollo is the god of stars as he is the god of sun and stars are suns. idiot."

Thank you, Anon, for your kind words towards my first FanFiction. Still, let me explain a few things to you about my story.

~Irene Hemera is Apollo's sister, and she connects to them trough The Moon, Sun and Stars. This should be explained better, but guess what, she doesn't know she's a Goddess yet, so she has yet to find out what goes on, and then Apollo (SPOILERS) is going to explain how he gave her the stars after she was born. This is a major spoiler for the rest of my PJ&O series. So whoever posted that, get this into your mind; I am 13, I do not want to study deep into history, this is an AU story, everything doesn't have to have happened or have to be real and I hate it when Anons post FLAMES onto people's stories, if you want someone to know something, don't hide your face, tell me it from whoever you are, because I will, from now on, delete any Anon comments on my story, because I want people to talk to me as themselves, not hiding in a mask of Anon-ness. So thank you Anon for making me post a long A/N about ranting about my feelings towards Anons. "Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, poetry, and more." Light and Sun, not Stars. The Sun is a Star, not the other way around. Do your research before you wrongly accuse me of being an idiot, because I don't do MY research.

~Don't call me names, or call me things that I am not, you need to get things straight, don't say anything if you have nothing nice to say. You read the description, so why are you reading my story? Hm? If you see a description and you don't like it, don't read the first chapter, just so you can bag on the idea and make the author feel horrible and down. I was having a good day, and I thought hard about my story, and you just went and let the whole world see you making a stupid point about my story. Don't do that, it's not nice.

~Don't ever read my stories if you don't want lots of AU (alternate universe). It will always be a changed timeline of events.

Sorry to my kind readers who thought this was an update and had to read through my rants, another chapter will be posted this weekend, and it may take us to the end of this story, but probably not. Next xhapter starts at the Water Park. Thanks for reading my story guys, and I'm sorry for the long rant. No more Anon comments though. Thanks,

Hannah xxx


	8. Ares and Athena

"This is wrong, if Ares sought you out... then he must really need help, AND you have to help him." I started, but Percy cut me off by covering my mouth.

"I'm not going to help him, we have a job to do!" Percy shook his head at me.

"He will curse your strength in battle, you have to obey his commands!" I shouted in his face and huffed.

"Fine. We'll help Ares. But I won't thank you if we don't finish this quest." Percy growled in my face. I shrunk back and curled up into a ball. He seemed to realise that he had scared me, and tried to move closer to me again to apologise, he rested a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched pushing it off.

"Don't touch me." I moved away, and left the diner, sitting outside on the sidewalk. I rested my head in my hands and closed my eyes. Annabeth came out and sat next to me, rubbing my back.

"Don't be hard on him, Irene. He had a hard time, he just wants to save his mom, you'd understand if you'd grown up with your mother." She sighed. "I would understand if my dad actually cared for me." She patted my back and stood up to leave, when she gasped and stumbled backwards.

"What? Annabeth, what happened?" I asked, concerned.

"You... you've been claimed." I looked above my head slowly, and saw the thunderbolt and an infinite sign. I gasped.

"That lady, she said that her sign was the infinite sign, she helped me... because I'm her daughter! Why was I claimed now, then... AH!" I shouted clutching my head as pain rushed through my veins, showing old memories from thousands of years ago and then the Lotus Casino and the Mr D getting me, Thalia, the tree, everything. "Everything, the memories, they're all coming back to me now. I can remember when I was a child, archery with Artemis, playing with Ares, getting the stars from Apollo, growing up with Aphrodite, making battle plans with Athena, visiting Hades, swimming with Poseidon, going to the forges to see Hephaestus, meals with father, mother being banished, greek lessons with Hera, visiting the vineyard with Dionysus and stealing stuff from each other with Hermes. I even remember every time I had to eat cereal because Demeter wanted me to grow up to be big and strong. I remember it all now, I remember the statues that they built in Greece or the massive structures in Rome and the Roman camp and the first ever hero. I'm so old and so young, I feel fresh, new, young, old, wise; Annabeth!" I turned to look at her, she was standing there, her eyes wide, and her mouth hanging open.

"You... you're a Goddess!" She bowed down to me and looked up.

"Don't bow down to me, Annabeth, I don't want the fame, I don't want the immortality, I just want to have friends, family, even. " I smiled and hugged her tightly. "I have family." I let go and bounded back into the diner, smiling widely.

"Look, Irene, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you."

"It's okay Percy, I have seen a new light as you could call it." I smiled at him and winked at Annabeth who was trying to hide her laughter, by snorting into her hand.

"What do you mean 'a new light'?" At that I just couldn't hold it in and I burst out laughing with Annabeth, clutching her arm.

"Oh, this is too funny. You remind me of the first Perseus, he was as oblivious as you are." I wiped a tear from my face.

"How would you know whatb the first Perseus was like, you're nine."

"No, I'm over a few thousand years old, actually, Perseus Jackson." I smirked when he started gaping at me.

"Not possible." I laughed a tinkling laugh and shook my head.

"Do you want to test that theory?" I opened the palm of my hand and a star shot out, bursting one of the lamps. "We'd better go, the lady's looking at us weirdly." I pulled up my hood and left the diner, making my way towards the abandoned water park. Percy followed unwillingly after seeing my star-work.

"So who are you then, really?"

"I am Zephire, Goddess of Stars and Shadows. Daughter of Zeus and of Moria, youngest sister of Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Ares, Dionysus and many others. Percy's cousin and Annabeth's aunt... eugh, that sounds weird." I shivered at the thought.

"That's nasty, don't think about that! That's horrible." Annabeth groaned, frowning.

"Sorry, Annabeth it's the nasty truth. So, off to the water park, then?" I took off running down the road, with my arms out like an aeroplane. "I havn't felt this good in a while!" I screamed to them, and carried on running.

"I don't like the feeling of this place, it's too… scary for me. I'm not going in there." I stepped away from the gates, which were locked, bolted and topped with barbed wire; not a good sign. "If Ares went in there and was scared, then I will be terrified. Me and him used to go adventuring together and I would freak out after he had. It's not a good thing when a God is scared, so no, I am NOT going in there AT ALL." I folded my arms and sat on the pavement.

"Okay then… We'll meet you back out heer in half an hour, if we take longer, come in and find us."

"Okay, that's fair, I guess. Be back within the half hour, or I will never forgive you for making me go in there. Remember, the Tunnel of Love." I smiled at them and let out a small breath. "I'll be in the shop if you need me." I pointed to the 'Monster Munchie Bar' across the road. Grover cried '_MAIA'_ and flew over the fence with his winged boots, and Annabeth climbed over, followed by Percy, who had to hold the barbed wire up for each other to get through. I walked across the street to the bar and sat down in one of the seats. There was a Cyclopes in there, and there was a Hellhound with a man. I made a face at them, and they made the face back. I laughed at this, and moved to sit next to them.

"You have some nerve hanging out with a hellhound, sir." I said, raising my eyebrow. "You look very familiar, do I know you?"

"I don't know, girly, do you know me? Oh, and this is Mrs O'Leary, my dog." I patted her head subconsciously.

"You are familiar, I'll figure it out some day… You say, do you actually mean dog, or is that the thing that I think it is and you think that I'm someone who doesn't know what that is?"

"You're a smart little girl, aren't you? So who's your parent, Athena?" He barked out a laugh and Mrs O'Leary did the same.

"I'm not a demigod." I shook my head.

"Oh, so you're a mortal, who knows what a demigod is?"

"Nope." I popped the 'p' and ordered a few bottles of Nectar and a bag of ambrosia to go.

"What are you, then?"

"Zephire, Goddess of Shadows and Stars. But call me Irene." I took the bottles and bags, and stood up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay, Daedalus, I don't want too much regonition, you never know what it'll do to the reputation." I winked and left, going to the waterpark, realising that it had been half an hour, and saw no Percy, Annabeth or Grover. I groaned, pocketed the food and drink and climbed over the fence with ease. I ran to the Tunnel of Love and entered to see Grover fighting with vine-like netting, Annabeth screaming as Spiders came near her and Percy concentrating on the water.

"Grover! Get out of there." I called, he turned, saw me and flew down to meet me.

"But, Percy and Annabeth…"

"Shut up, Grover. Let me think." I imagined the stars, and then picked off a black hole, letting the pull swirl at my fingers. "Grover, stand back." He did what I said, as the black hole started to suck up the cupids and spiders as they filmed the two live on Olympus, I caught one last camera before it was sucked up. "Very sorry, but this show is cancelled." Then I let if fly off into the abyss, and then the spiders followed, closing up the hole in the world. I breathed deeply, letting air flood my lungs. "Well then, that went well." I smiled, and waited for Annabeth and Percy to come out of the exit on Percy's water wave. I ran over to them and wrapped Percy in a hug, puling Annabeth into the hug as well. "You two! You need to learn not to trust the Gods directly, even me. You have to learn, Ares knew that it was a trap, he and Aphrodite figured it out. You should have been more careful Percy!" I ranted, letting them go from my bonecrushing hug.

"Calm down, Irene, we're safe now, and that's all that matters." One single camera was left filming us. I turned to it, and nearly growled. I walked right up to it, grabbed the lense and pulled it up to my height.

"Hello Olympus, fancy seeing you here. Hephaestus, you better run, because when I get home, I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to kill Ares, so warn him too. No-one messes with my family." I smashed the camera with my fist and threw it back into the pool. I took a deep breath and smiled. "Ares is going to regret ever messing with us." I grinned and made a dash out of the waterpark. We travelled back to the diner, and there, was Ares leaning against his motorbike while waiting.

"Oh good, you didn't get killed." He flashed an evil grin at Percy.

"You knew it was a trap." Percy growled at my brother.

"Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of kids and a Satyr. I bet you lot looked good on TV." Percy shoved the shield at him.

"You're a jerk." Ares looked ready to kill, so I stepped out from behind Annabeth and stood in front of Percy.

"No killing here today, Ares, go. Leave with your shield, and return home. They'll deal with you there." I swore that there were stars burning in my eyes, because Ares gulped, nodded and shifted his shield into a bullet-proof vest, slinging it over his back.

"There's your ride." He pointed to a van. "It'll take you straight to L.A, with one stop in Vegas, but that'll help with your pearl problem, eh, kid?" He laughed.

"What about the information about my mum?" Ares tossed me a bag, which had spare clothes, a bag full of Drachmas and a pouch of money.

"She isn't dead." He then rode off into the distance. I growled properly this time.

"Oh he's going to get it when I get home." I cracked my knuckles and moved towards the van. "Let's go." I climbed into the back of the van while the guy was distracted, closely followed by Annabeth, then Grover and then Percy. It turns out that Annabeth had read the sign on the edge of the van, because she looked at the animal cages in disgust. The smell was the worst part it smelt worse than when you go round the back of the zoo. There was a male albino lion, a zebra and an antelope. Someone had thrown the lion a bag of sweet turnips and the zebra and antelope had gotten a tray full of meat. I looked at the animals in pity, and saw the Zebra's mane was filled with chewing gum, and the antelope had a birthday balloon tied to it's antler that read 'OVER THE HILL', No-one wanted to get too close to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was showing it's ribs, the poor thing was pacing in the stifling heat n it's soiled mat, the space way too small for him, and panting from the heat in the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes. Grover started to yell about how this isn't kindness. Grover talked to the animals in a series of goat bleats, but they just stared at him, sadly. Annabeth and I were in favur of freeing the animals, but Annabeth wanted to free them where we were and I just said wait until the trailer stopped at a gas station, or something. We eventually found water jugs, refilled their bowls and gave the animals the right food, for a change. They ate hungrily and I cut the balloon off the Antelope's horn. Annabeth wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, but we decided against it, because the truck was jerking everywhere. We told Grover to tell the animals that we'd help them propery when we stop fo rthe night. They made their own noises in response and Grover nodded. Grover curled up on a turnip sack, Annabeth opened our packet of Oreos and nibbled on one half-heartedly, I kept changing my hair colour, length and style for my own and the lion's amusement, and Percy looked like he was thinking. Annabeth and Percy started to talk about the spiders that were in the cave, and I understood why Annabeth looked so scared. With the Arachne and Athena contest when I was a child.

I munched on an Oreo as Annabeth and Percy laghed at a side comment of Grover's.

"Did Luke really say nothing of importance?" Annabeth asked after a small silence.

"Luke said that you and he go way back, and he also said to tell Grover that no-one will get turned into a Pine Tree this time." In the dim light of Percy's blade, we could see none of the toher's expressions, so I took out a star and let it float in the middle of the railer, casting a bright yellow light over everything and we could truely see the worst conditions that I had ever seen.

"I should've told you the truth from the beginning... but I thought that you would think of me as a failure, and you wouldn't want me along..."

"You were the Satyr that was sent to resue Thalia, daughter of Zeus." Grover nodded and I swallowed the lump of Oreo that had formed in my throat. "And the two halfbloods that you escorted to camp... that was you and Luke wasn't it?" He looked to Annabeth. SHe put her Oreo down, uneaten.

"I told you Percy, a seven year old half-blood wouldn't have made it far on their own. Athena guided me towards help, and that help was Luke and Thalia. Luke was fourteen and Thalia was twelve. They'd both ru away from home like me. They were happy to take me along, they were amazing monster fighters, even without training. We travelled North from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters... One day, we were over-run, we couldn't take them on, but an arrow came out of no-where, and shot a hellhound down. They kept coming and then a little girl came out of the shadows, she kept shooting and then pulled us along to a little house that was covered in vines to cover it from the naked eye. She didn't say her name, but she told us where to go, if we wanted to find out who we really were. We found Grover along the way, and it turned out that the little girl was right. She followed us to New York and the to Half-Blood Hill. There we were attacked by hoards of monsters... we couldn't take them on. Thalia sacrificed herself for us... We couldn't have asked her to do that, she did it from the good of her heart."

"That little girl... was that...?" Percy looked over to me, I was holding my bow in my hands, feeling the engravements in the wood. The engravings wrote out 'ASTERI' meaning star in Greek.

"That was me. I was so young, so stupid, I thought that I could stop Thalia getting hurt, but I was wrong, and she got killed... so I ran away, being the chicken I am." I was crying now. "She was like the sister I thought I never had..." I turned away from then, put the star out and rested my head on the bag of turnips next to me. I fell into a dreamless sleep easily, without hesitation.

~BREAK~

I woke with a start, Percy was shaking my shoulder.

"Hide!" He hissed, and then he dived behind some turnips. I gasped and melted into the shadows. Annabeth just put on her hat and disappeared . The trailer doors creaked open. Sunlight poured in and so did the heat.

"Man!" One of the drivers exclaimed, waving his hand in front of his ugly, large nose. "I wish I hauled appliances!" He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animal's dishes. He laughed at the lion. "You hot, big boy?" He asked the lion, and then he threw the rest of the jug into the lion's face. The lion roared loudly, shaking the trailer. "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" The trucker threw the antelope a squashed Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the Zebra. "How ya doin', Stripes? At least we'll be rid of you this stop. You like Magic shows? You're gonna love this one! They're gonna saw you in 'alf!" He roared with laughter, the zebra looked scared, his eyes wide with fear, it looked at Percy. Then there was a knock on the side of the van. A constant knocking. The trucker turned, left the van and started to shout to the other guy, about the knocking. Annabeth appeared next to me, even though I could have seen her the whole time. Annabeth started to ramble about illegal transportation. I rolled my eyes, and looked at the lion's pleading eyes.

"Grover, give them the Wild Blessing. I want to set them free." I took out my arrows, and shot one at each, lock, breaking the animals out. They bowed to each of us in turn, listened to Grover's Belssing then ran off down the road, with the haulers running after them. I got out of the van, wincing in the sun, and looking up, to see a man in the sky, pulling the sun slowly across the sky. I grinned, Apollo still doing his job. I moved out of the way and the rest clambered out after me. I took off down the road, making my way around Las Vegas, but I must have taken a wrong turn, because I ended up dead ened by the Lotus Hotel and Casino. I backed away in fear, about to cry. Percy bumped into me, Annabeth bumping into him and Grover pushing me to the floor by bumping into Percy.

"I'm not going in there either. I have been here before... I was trapped here for thousands of years." I did start crying then, but Annabeth, Percy and Grover were pulled closer to the hotel and the doorman led them inside, showing them around a bit. I sucked in a breath and was about to go in, but a hand stopped me.

"Just wait a minute, your friends will be in there for a while." I turned around to see who had their hand on me, and I saw that I was looking deep into the same stormy grey eyes of Annabeth Chase, Athena had come to talk to me, this can't be good.


	9. Meeting a Certain Boy

I gasped and bowed down.

"Lady Athena!" I stayed down until I heard her laugh and then she pulled me up.

"Sister, we do not bow down to each other, we only bow down to father and my mother, and sometimes Uncle Poseidon." She laughed again, and hugged me slightly. "I am here because I wish to talk to you about the end of this quest. You know that two will be left in the Underworld, and you know that means you." She paused, and then without my reaction, she continued. "All of the Gods on Olympus know that you're going to be left down there. Apollo and Artemis have been taking turns watching over you, but they know that will end soon. Your quest will end in vain if you do not exit that Lotus Casino as soon as you go in. But you cannot do this alone, if you want to complete the uest get your friends and my daughter out of there as soon as possible. You have five days, love. Don't fail us." She smiled and disappeared in a flash of Gold and a summer's breeze. I sighed and walked into the Lotus Casino, un-changed by the Lotus flowers or the looks. I knew that the people sometimes cower in fear of the Gods, so I became a woman, walking up to the front desk. I slammed Medusa's head, with the eyes shut, down on the front desk and leaned on the desk.

"When the time comes, you will let me and my friends leave, or there will be trouble with the Gods d you hear me?" I pulled the guy up by his collar and pulled him over the desk. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" I shouted at the man. He nodded frantically and pulled his hat low over his eyes.

"I understand, ma'am." He bowed down and I turned back to a little girl, picking up the head again and shrinking it to the size of a shrunken head.

"Good, and don't fail me, or there will be trouble." I flicked my hair back and walked up the stairs to Percy, Annabeth and Grover's rooms. I knocked on the door and no-one answered, I knew that they had gone down to the Casino. I may never get them out of here. On the way down, I bumped into a boy, who looked around my age. I apologised and then turned back to him, after he finished climbing the stairs. This boy had dark brown- nearly black- hair with dark eyes, that had a michevious glint in them. He had olive skin and was carrying a deck of Mythomagic Cards. I smiled, I had seen him before, when I was in here for those thousand years, he and I had become close friends and he couldn't understand when I said I had to leave. I ran back for a second, and bumped into his sister.

"Hey!" I breathed when I reached them.

"Oh! It's you!" He gasped, when he finally looked up from his cards.

"Have you seen three people. One with sea green eyes and dark brown hair, a boy. Another with golden hair and crystal eyes, a girl and one with crutches hanging around the Casino?"

"The girl was playing on the 'build-a-city' game, one of the boys was playing gambling and the other was at the bar. You're lucky, I just say then, one of the boys was running around shouting for someone named 'Annabeth'."

"Thank you! I'm Irene, by the way."

"Nico." I hugged him and ran off down the satirs in searching for Percy, Grover and Annabeth.

~BREAK~

I don't know how long I was searching, it felt like days, without being entranced by the Lotus Flowers. I then finally found Percy, playing typical Casino games.

"Percy, we need to leave." I stated the obvious. He didn't even look at me, he just sort of shrugged an carried on playing. I rolled my eyes, and turned him to face me, slapping him round the face. "SNAP OUT OF IT PERSEUS JACKSON! GET A GRIP! WE HAVE TO FIND ANNABETH AND GROVER AND GET THE LIGHTNING BOLT!" I slapped him again and he seemed to come to his senses.

"Irene?" He asked, trying to focus on my face, but swaying side to side.

"It's me, just get up, we're going to find Annabeth and Grover, and get out of here." I grabbed his hand, hauled him up and nodded to the man who made his promise. He looked scared of me and nodded back, gesturing that we are allowed to leave. I found Annabeth playing the 'build-the-city' game still.

"Annabeth! We have to leave, your mother told me to get you." She still didn't listen, she instead pushed me off and carried on building her city, with massive structures. I used the same method that I got Percy out fo his trance, but her waking ddn't go so swiftly. I slapped her across the face and was about to start screaming when she took out her knife, slashed my arm and hit me in the face with the hilt of her sword. I fell on the floor, my nose bleeding and tears flowing down my face, and her seeing the terrified look on my face and the blood freely flowing down my lips and nose, she snapped out of her trance and stumbled backwards, looking shcoked at herself.

"Irene! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" She knelt down next to me and I grunted, sitting up and taking a piece of Ambrosia out of my small satchel, eating it. Immediately my cuts healed and my nose stopped flowing with blood. I focused on the blood and it was burned off my face.

"It's okay Annabeth, I'm fine. Let's just go, and leave. I think it's the Summer Solitce…" I pulled her to where Percy was struggling to battle some guys trying to make him stay. I stood in front of him and shouted in Greek. "Κάνατε μια υπόσχεση για το κεφάλι της Μέδουσας που θα μας αφήσουν να φύγουμε όταν ο χρόνος ήταν σωστός. Έχω να φέρει το κεφάλι έξω, και πάλι ο θνητός άνθρωπος?" (You made a promise on Medusa's Head that you would let us go when the time was right. Do I have to bring the head out again, mortal man?) Apparently the man got the message and let us pass, very quickly. I smiled and strode past them, the others behind me.

"What did you say to them?" Percy asked, looking at me strangely.

"Just reminded them of something."

"Let's find DOA Recording Studios."


	10. A Little Homeless Girl

We climbed into the back of one of the Vegas taxis, like we had the money.

"Los Angeles, please." We told the guy, he chewed on his cigar and turned to face us.

"That's a long way, three hundred miles. You have to pay up-front for that!"

"Do you accept Casino Debit Cards?" I asked the guy, moving forward to talk to him properly.

"Some of 'em. Same as credit cards, I gotta swipe 'em through first." I handed him my green LotusCash card. He swiped it through, and the lights rattled, an infinite sign coming up next to the dollar sign. The driver's cigar fell out of his mouth and he looked back at us, his eyes wide.

"Where to in Los Angeles, your highness?"

"The Santa Monica Pier. Get us there fast, and you can keep the change. Don't worry about traffic lights, we'll be okay going through them. Send me the bill at Half-Blod Hill, the strawberry farm, under the name Irene Hemera." Maybe I shouldn't have told him that, because the speedometer never dipped lower than 100 through out the whole desert.

(BREAK)

I woke up by Annabeth shaking my shoulders, she had the card back and we were stopped at the Pier.

"Thank you, for the service." I nodded to him and left the cab, stepping onto the typical L.A beach, but it just smelled off. I watched as Percy walked deep into the water, then submerged his head, walking futher and futher, until we couldn't see him anymore. I sighed, knowing he could breath, and sat on the sand, next to some homeless girl. She looked at me, then opened her mouth, and closed it. She looked familiar, why was I seeing so many familiar faces on this journey?

"Hello." I said, smiling at the girl, who looked around my age.

"Hello, Zephire."

"So you do know me?"

"Of course I know you, I am here to keep an eye on you. Apollo... was a little busy, but don't tell Lord Zeus, or Lady Athena that I told you about me being here. I could get in a spot of trouble."

"You're Artemis, aren't you? You look like her."

"I am, now, go, Perseus has finished his little talk." I opened my mouth to answer, but she shifted into her divine form and was gone in a popping of bubble that looked oddly like the moon. I laughed to myself, and went to the shore again, standing by Annabeth and Grover. Percy came out of the sea, completely dry. When we got on the bus to try and get to DOA Recording Studios, the man said he'd never heard of it. I sat down at the back of the bus, and watched as the man asked Percy a few questions, then looked relieved and then Percy came and sat next to me. We got off after a few stops and I pulled them into a side-alley.

"Okay, here's the thing. I can get myself into the Underworld, but I can't get you in or out. I will go first and I can meet you later. Okay?" I asked, shivering in a small breeze.

"Sure, we'll meet you there soon."

"I'll be in the Shadow Realm, tell Charon that I say that you can go through, and he will warn me, then I'll come and see you. I have to tend to my realm." I smiled and melted into the shadows, re-appearing in the middle of a war.

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! CALM DOWN, HEROES. NOW FORM AN ORDERY LINE TO SEE ME AND TELL ME YOUR PROBLEMS AND WE CAN SEE WHAT I CAN DO." I shouted to the crowds, they turned to face me and a smile sprad across everyone's faces, they all bowed down and looked up at me.

"Goddess Zephire!" One called, stepping forward.

"Ah! Saphia, how is the realm coming along, my absence seems to have caused a long war."

"Your highness, the realm was doing fine until a disturbance of Tartarus about a month ago. We're having a few problems with monsters coming through, but nothing too much. I'm afraid we need you to be here to stop the moster attacks."

"Right, I need my army leaders to come with me to the Pavillion, others, get back to your daily lives, leave the problems to me. If you need advice or Councilling please come to the Pavillion and we can arrange something. Follow me, if I have asked you to come." We walked together to the Pavillion.

(BREAK)

"Well, that was a LONG meeting, ma'am." Saphia told me, wiping her forehead.

"Prepare to battle any monsters that come through here, Saphia, bring my best officers." There was a clicking noise, I turned an there was a message coming through, it was Charon.

"Charon." I greeted, nodding.

"My lady, do you give permission for these living to go through to the underworld?"

"Yes, I do indeed Charon, I will be there soon to come along and see my uncle." He nodded and I swiped my hand through the message, becoming my divine form and appearing in the DOA Recording Studios. "Hello there, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Charon!" I said cheerfully, walking over to them. "I'll accompany these three to Hades, he needs a word with Perseus here." I put a hand on Percy's shoulder and placed a bag full of Drachmas on Charon's desk. "Your pay, and a little tip." I winked at him, and he smiled at me, pushing some souls out of the boat to make way for me and my friends. I settled down and let the feeling of coldness and death consume me. "Ah, this is the life." I stuck my feet over the edge of the boat and lay out.

"There's something wrong with you." Percy stated while we were crossing. I growled at him, and he looked shocked as we passed into the Underworld, my eye sockets hollowed out, my skin turned paler and my hair became a darker shade of ginger.

"This is the real me, the Underworld me. I grew up at The Doors of Death, I grew up in the Underworld. It changes a girl, Perseus Jackson, a girl is scarred for life at the torture, the pain and the suffering and it changes the way she thinks, thank the Gods you guys will never have to live down here for thousands of years while you're alive. I loathe you. So don't tell me there's something wrong with me." I growled at him, pronouncing every word, driping with hatred towards the underworld, my voice cold and emotionless. I looked at my hands and focused on the little girl I used to be, and my eyes became normal, my hair turned lighter and my skin flushed with colour. "You wouldn't like it either, boy, get that into your head." I huffed out and lay back in the boat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Percy was flushed red with embarrasment and Charon was laughing now.

"You're very funny, mi'lady. Perhaps even funnier than the souls I meet every day." I smiled at Charon, standing up to stand next to him.

"When do we get there, Charon, I am scared at meeting my Uncle, I wish to get it over with quickly."

"Of course, Queen of Shadows, we will be there momentarily." The boat sped up, and I sat down, pushing my hair back from my eyes. As we stepped onto the platform, my clothes became a dark grey dress, with rips and netting surrounding the skirt, and a corset pulling on my waist and chest. ( black-and-white-corset-dress/) My hair changed darker again, and make-up dotted on my face as I walked. The dress grew a trail, and as I walked, I grew taller, older until I looked like a late teen/adult girl. ( . )

"Sorry for my appearance, kids, my uncle wished for me to be older in the Underworld. This is my domain now, stick close to me and don't show fear. Souls are drawn to the fear of a living person, that is why we have Ghosts." I kept moving, holding my head high, and as I went, souls, Ghosts and monsters bowed down to me, then carried on walking. We got as far as Cerbeus, and then, we had a problem. "For the love of Zeus. I forgot about Cerbeus, he's going to try and stop you… Figure it out, I'll warn Persephone that you're here." I clicked my fingers and I felt the sensation of moving slowly through shadows, until I reached Hades' throne room.

"Persephone, I need you." She came out from behind a door, and smiled when she saw me.

"Is…is that you?" She asked, her eyebrows going up.

"Yes, it is me. No I was not dead. Yes, I am back for good. Does that answer your questions..?" I asked, grinning.

"Yes it does." She hugged me tightly, kissing my forehead. "You've grown!"

"I know, it's been thousands of years. I was trapped in a place, a long story. But I've come to warn you, three young demigods on there way, get Hades here and be prepared." I smiled at her and dissolved into a thin black vapour, travelling back to Percy, who was outside the throne room. "Don't be shy, Perseus."


	11. AN Not good

Hey there to anyone who's reading this. Not like you are, but hey? Why not give it a shot. My granddad was battling cancer for years without knowing it, a few weeks ago he was told. On Wednesday he passed away in a lot of pai, but he's in a better place. I will not update until I have recovered. Sorry.


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